I believe our hands hold powerful energy, a certain level of magic that is passed on to everything we touch.
I was born and raised by my Sicilian grandmother in Boston’s Little Italy, the North End. It was truly a unique place to grow up in, everyone was Italian, everyone was steeped in family traditions, and rooted in their heritage. Much has changed since then.
The kitchen is the room where Italian family ties are bound. We got our education in the kitchen. We would sip a cup of coffee and sit with our mothers, grandmothers and aunts, listening intently while they shared their stories of how they were raised. They were always teaching us, and we were always learning the “old ways”. With wisdom in their eyes, and never ending solid advice. It is from them we learned our kitchen witchery, ancient rituals, old world superstitions, and of course, cooking.
Growing up we learned how to fry eggplant, and how to break the curse of the Malocchio, the (Evil Eye). Which you can only learn the incantation and spell from an elder on one night a year, Christmas Eve, when we celebrate the traditional Italian, Feast of the Seven Fishes. We’d make chicken soup and healing potions for whatever ails you. Herbs and salt weren’t just used in all of our cooking, it was also used for keeping out and cleansing the house of bad energy. We would ask for blessings from Saint Anthony, our family saint. Who we honored every year in August with a weekend long open house during his feast. Which are still going on today. Everyone knew the door was open, family and friends would stop by for a “sangwich” of sausages, peppers, and onions and a glass of wine. For Easter we would make the traditional Pizzagaina, a savory Easter pie, that we would share with our friends and they would give us blessed palms, eggs and fresh ricotta cheese. On Sundays we have a ritual of making homemade raviolis, meatballs, sausages, and veal braciole for the Gravy, (sauce)…it’s the day the whole family comes together…. Tony, my husband, says we all sit at the table and “yell” but really, we’re just “talking”, very loud.
I still cook with Auntie Tre (Theresa) on Sundays, my Nana Jo just turned 91, she still has her fiery spirit, and is still cursing, in a couple different ways.
I am a passionate home cook, a wine and cheese enthusiast. I am connected to the earth, the stars and moon. Sometimes I still practice, the “Old Ways”, you know, just to “clean” the house. I love cooking for my three boys every day, they are my greatest blessings. And the foundation of my love for food, came from these special women in my life, we honor our Italian family traditions which I have instilled in my boys. I love sharing and connecting with family and friends over a beautiful meal. My kitchen door is always open, just like my Nana Jo’s was, I mean that literally. (I’ll get to that in one of my stories).
I invite you to come through MY kitchen door, I will share my stories, past and present..my photos…my recipes, old and new…and a touch of magic to work in your own kitchen.
L M Lorizio
Cucina Strega…(Kitchen Witch)
This is who I am.
CUCINA STREGA 